Just how many pre-Fantastic Four quartets did DC Comics have? Of
course there were the Challengers of the Unknown. And then there were
the Sea Devils. And sandwiched between these teams was Rip Master and
his team of time - traveling adventurers who made their first appearance
in Showcase No.20 (May 1959). Hunter and his quartet would have the
same team dynamic of the later Sea Devils and Fantastic Four. The
stalwart leader, his best friend, female love interest and the love
interest's kid brother. Rip Hunter, Time Master would appear in
Showcase 21, 25, and 26 before graduating to his own comic book series
that ran for 29 issues from 1961 to 1965. The series was cool comic book
psychotronica. But I sort of lost interest after the heroes started
wearing costumes/uniforms with the sixteenth issue. Obviously the
editorial staff at DC thought the time travelers needed costumes to
boost sales in the superhero crazy 60s. But I thought it took something
away from the feature. I also thought the first story, Prisoners of 100
Million B.C, would have made a good B-Movie. And that story came
pre-costumes. When Rip dressed like Doc Savage.
The characterizations of the heroes are razor-thin. They all could have come out of central casting.
I see Rip played by Troy Donahue whose blandness would not have worked against him in this case.
Mark Goddard could have been his best friend Jeff Smith.
Annette Funicello would have been Rip's girl friend Bonnie Baxter.
And for Bonnie's younger brother Corky Baxter I'd cast Billy Mumy. Hmmm. That's two actors from the cat of 60s sci-fi series Lost In Space.
As far as the story itself the quartet used their "time spheres" go back to the Mesozoic Age. A perfect time setting for a comic book about time travel. Nothing was cooler to Silver Age kids than stories featuring dinosaurs Well except for stories featuring intelligent gorillas or robots.
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